Among gun aficionados there are also reloading fans who reload the shells of bullets of all sizes, both rifle and pistol. In order to reload a shell, the shell is put on a reloading arbor press, and a plunger forces the shell into a sizing die, while at the same time punching out the old primer. This step is necessary because the shell expands on firing.
The next step utilizes a different die which opens up the end of the shell to receive the bullet. The last step utilizes yet a third die, and it is this step, performed after the loading of the powder, in which the bullet is inserted into the shell and the shell crimped around the bullet, which is accomplished by yet a third die on the same arbor press.
As thus outlined, the process presumes that the reloader is using store-bought bullets. Some reloaders actually use bullets that they themselves mold from old bullets, battery plates, and other sources of scrap lead together with new lead. When the bullets are handmade it is necessary to size them by forcing them through a die that is exactly the right diameter to enable the bullet to match the muzzle. For bullet makers, there is a second piece of equipment in addition to the first arbor press which is used to actually shape the shell and force the bullet into the shell.
This second piece of equipment is a bullet sizing and lubricating press. This press costs almost as much as the first press, and if it could be eliminated, there would be an obvious cost savings. Although many reloaders enjoy the reloading process as a hobby all of its own, it is still based on cost savings. The cost of reloading bullets is only a tenth or even less than the cost of buying new bullets, representing a tremendous cost savings and enabling gun aficionados to spend long hours at the firing range without worrying about cost. Otherwise, many enthusiasts would be forced to stop after only a few minutes of shooting because at twenty cents to twenty-five cents a bullet, the cost adds up too fast.
For this reason it is obviously desirable to keep the cost of reloading equipment down as low as possible to enable more gun aficionados to reload their own shells.